Worcester Dual Language Magnet School Adds 7th and 8th Grades

WORCESTER, MA — A dual language school in the city is set to expand.

The Worcester Dual Language Magnet School will expand to serve sixth- and seventh-graders beginning next school year, 2026-27, the school district announced on Monday. The school at 525 Chandler St. currently teaches preschool through sixth grade.

Students at the school are admitted through a citywide lottery process and learn in two languages: English and Spanish.

In a two-way Dual Language program, students typically begin in preschool or kindergarten with instruction delivered about 90 percent in Spanish and 10 percent in English, with the amount of English increasing each year. By third grade, half of the content is taught in English and half in Spanish.

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“The addition of grades 7 and 8 at Worcester Dual Language Magnet School is an important step toward scaling a model that works,” said Superintendent Brian E. Allen. “We are not just embracing, but elevating this approach to ensure more students have the opportunity to graduate with multilingual and multicultural skills.”

The model includes both native English and native Spanish speakers, accoridng to the district. Worcester Public Schools said the Dual Language model is widely considered the optimal framework for multilingual education because it treats a student's primary language as an asset to be developed rather than a barrier to overcome.

Principal Suzanna Resendes said the expansion reflects the district's commitment to the program.

“The expansion of the Worcester Dual Language Magnet School is a milestone that reaffirms our commitment to cultivating global citizens,” said Principal Resendes. “By creating more opportunities for students to learn in a Dual Language program, we ensure they possess the language and cultural skills to thrive in an interconnected world.”

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The district also said that extensive research shows students in Dual Language programs, including native English and Spanish speakers, consistently meet or exceed their peers on several academic measures.

Worcester Public Schools also hosts a second Dual Language program for grades K-6 at Woodland Academy, which uses a residential-based admissions process.

Registration for the preschool and kindergarten admissions lottery at the Worcester Dual Language Magnet School is open now until Friday, May 1.

Families will be notified before May 22 if they have been accepted through the lottery, and they must indicate by May 29 whether they will accept the placement.

You can find more information about enrollment here.

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